To Love You More
by Lisa Moulton
Summary: The story of how Lisa and Data chose Their Song.
1. Prologue

**Author's** **Notes: I've been obsessing about Celine Dion's song "To Love You More" for a while even after I labeled it AL and Data's song. I really wanted to write out how it became so. The story started differently for a while before solidifying into what you're reading. Kinsellan flits are the property of Jessica Dragontamer.**

_Prologue_

On the _Enterprise_-E, Data and a group of musicians were performing a concert in Ten-Forward. Lisa, as always, was sitting in the front row. Her Kinsellan flit, Rising Fog, as always, had elected to stay behind in their quarters since he disliked crowds.

She watched the android as his hands manipulated the bow and strings of the violin and smiled to herself. She knew that "his" playing was simply the imitation and combination of various styles, however, she looked beyond that. Since Data chose the violinists and they normally had different styles that he'd successfully blend, that made it Data's own style.

Plus she was in love with him, which biased her greatest of all.

Their piece finished, the audience applauded loudly and Data waited for the noise to die down before speaking.

"For the last performance of the evening, we are going to have what my colleagues call a 'change of pace'. However, that is only if Lisa can be persuaded to join us."

There was a collective murmur amongst the audience and Lisa simply said, "Huh?"

"We've heard you and Data playing together," said one of the musicians. "You're really good and we think the audience'll like it. It'd make a great finale."

"Yeah, but…" she began but was drowned out by the encouraging applause. Data reached behind the bar to pull her pan flute.

She hedged for a moments. True, she and Data would often play together a number from 20th century Earth Lisa had dubbed Their Song, but she'd never played in public.

Data gave her a hopeful smile and she shrugged. Why not? She took her flute stood beside him. He said to the audience, "I am told most romantic couples choose a song to symbolize their relationship. As most know – "

"Make that everyone on the ship," said Lisa, hugging Data to her and causing the audience to chuckle.

"Lisa and I have been engaged in a romantic relationship for the past two years. What we will be performing is…Our Song."

They took up their instruments and began to play. The audience listened raptly to the 400-year-old song as Lisa's breath played across the reeds of the flute. She nearly forgot she was in front of people until she heard the applause once they'd finished.

Afterward, people were still talking about the performance. As Data and Lisa milled about, many of them came up to her to say how impressed they were.

"I'd no idea you could play like that," said Deanna Troi.

"I didn't recognize the song, though," added Will Riker.

Lisa smiled. "I'm not surprised. It was very popular on Earth in the late twentieth century. It's called 'To Love You More' and it's by a woman named Celine Dion."

"How did you chose something like that as Your Song?" Geordi LaForge asked.

She laughed. "Well, remember the first time we did Sherlock Holmes on the holodeck and Data picked up the violin? That's what first put the idea in my head. Then, after that first concert…"

_End prologue._

**Trivia and In-Jokes: The bit about the first time they did Sherlock Holmes on the holodeck was in the Season 2 episode "Elementary, Dear Data". ****The first concert was in Season 3's episode "The Ensigns of Command".**


	2. Seven Years Earlier

**Trivia and** **In-Jokes: The line _Are you going to play that thing or just blow on it until he gets here?_ is a play-on of Jim Kirk saying to Spock about his lute "Are you going to sit there and pluck that thing or are you actually going to play something?" (paraphrasing) from _Star Trek V: The Final Frontier_.**

_Chapter One: Seven Years Earlier_…

Lisa sat in Data's quarters waiting for him to go off duty, fiddling with her pan flute. Jamie, her flit (Rising Fog to most), sat perched on the couch beside her preening his black and gray scales. He didn't mind being around Data; since the android had no emotions for the flit to read, it was really quite peaceful.

_Are you really going to ask him to play that song with you?_ Jamie asked telepathically. _After you've been talking about it for a year?_

"I had to make sure he was going to keep playing. You remember how he didn't want to do that concert." She put the flute to her lips and blew a few random notes. For some reason she could play by ear any song she knew the lyrics to just by singing them in her head.

_Are you going to play that thing or just blow on it until he gets here?_

Lisa gave her flit a dirty look, then asked the computer to play the version of the song she wanted to get Data to play with her that had the lead vocals removed. That's where her flute came in.

The song was called "To Love You More". It had been sung by an Earth woman named Celine Dion and had been popular in the late 20th century. What made Lisa want to play it with Data so bad was the lead violin part performed by violinist Taro Hakase. She absolutely adored it.

She was so into playing she didn't even realize Data had walked in until the short violin solo three and a quarter minutes into the song when she turned around and noticed him watching her. She made a move to turn off the music, but he stopped her.

"Please continue," he said.

Lisa shrugged, smiled and without missing a beat continued to play. When she finished, she said, "Well, what did you think?"

"Intriguing," he replied. "However, I am not familiar with the piece you were playing."

"I'm not surprised," she said and explained the origins. "I'm glad you heard it, though. I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Certainly."

"Would you play it with me? You can do the lead violin."

He nodded. "Of course. First, I must analyze the original recording in order to adequately replicate the notes."

Lisa just happened to have the original cut of the song in her personal files, so she called it up on the computer so he could listen. She tried to sit quietly, but she couldn't help mouthing the lyrics.

After he'd listen to the original cut, he asked the computer to remove all the instruments but the lead violin and then listened to that. It was odd hearing it that way.

Finally he said, "I am creating a file that has both the lead vocals and violin removed." His hands flew over the computer pad. "Do you wish to proceed?"

She nodded eagerly. "Yes!" she said and held up her flute.

Data retrieved his violin and gave the computer the command to play the music. He played his violin in a perfect imitation of Taro Hakase.

Together they played, their only audience Jamie, who watched impressed. He probably would have clapped if he had hands.

_Very nice,_ he said when the last note faded.

"Thanks," replied Lisa, causing Data to cant his head in puzzlement. One downside of Jamie's telepathy was that Data's android brain couldn't allow him to hear it. She had to reiterate to him, "He said he likes it."

_Well, not in that many words._

She ignored him. "Data, you have no idea how much that meant to me. Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome."

She grinned. "That's gonna be known as Our Song from now on."

That caused Data to frown. "Inquiry…'Our Song'?"

Chuckling, she explained, "Well, in normal context, Our Song refers to one chosen by a couple that best symbolizes their relationship. In this case, considering the circumstances, it's just the song you and I play together."

Data nodded, understanding. He had known Lisa was attracted to him for years. Although he couldn't return the affection, he greatly valued their friendship and that was why he allowed her to spend so much time with him. It was enough for her. For now.

_End chapter one._


	3. Two Years Earlier

**Trivia and In-Jokes: Jenna is Ensign Jenna D'Sora who pursued a romantic relationship with Data in the Season 4 episode "In Theory".**

_Chapter Two: Two Years Earlier_…

Lisa and Data were in the quarters provided to them on the _Farragut_ after the destruction of the _Enterprise_-D. Jamie and Spot, Data's orange tabby cat, were with them. They watched as the two humanoids looked through what belongings they'd salvaged from the wreck.

Data hadn't owned much, although e did have a number of paintings he'd done over the years. Most of them had survived along with his medals and the book of sonnets Captain Picard had given him.

Lisa had practically moved into Data's quarters even before he'd gotten the emotion chip and they'd fallen in love. Well, one would have thought that with how much time she spent there. A lot of what she had owned – holographic portraits and various knickknacks – could be replaced or repaired. The only thing that couldn't she was sure she'd found but couldn't remember where she put it: her pan flute.

Data walked in to find her frantically searching the storage containers. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"I can't find my flute," she said. "My dad gave that to me – well, so I've been told – and I can't remember where I put it."

He went to one of the containers on the other side of the room, opened it, searched for a few minutes and pulled the instrument out.

She sighed in relief and hugged him. "Thanks."

"You are welcome."

Lisa looked down into the container and noticed the neck of Data's violin peeking out. Extracting herself from his arms she pulled it free and found the bow.

"That's good this survived," she said. "I'd hate to not be able to play with you."

"Even if it had been damaged, it can be replaced," was his reasoning.

"I guess." Lisa said, then, "Data, let's do Our Song. We haven't played it together since before you got the chip."

"But the file we use was on the _Enterprise_."

She smiled and went to one of the containers and pulled out a small module. "It's a data storage unit. I put it in here just in case." She fiddled with the controls until it brought up the file she needed: a recording of the 20th century song "To Love You More" with the lead vocals and violin removed. She looked at him. "Can we?"

He smiled. "Of course. It will be interesting to observe how the song makes me feel." He positioned the violin and nodded to her to play the song.

Lisa took special note of Data's playing this time around. She was trying to see if he did it any differently, not just emulating Taro Hakase. Indeed, he seemed to be more passionate as the song went on. They played with a flourish and more feeling than they had ever done.

When the final note faded, even Jamie had to agree. _There was definitely more emotion this time. I could sense it._

Lisa repeated that for Data and he nodded. "Yes," he said. "The melody has more meaning for me now that I understand how emotions can influence opinion. And, also, that you still consider it Our Song even though the actual lyrics do not pertain to us."

"It's still special to me because it's the first song that you and I played together. The lyrics don't need to mean anything since no one but me hears them when we play."

He nodded. "That is true."

"Besides, I think they _do_ hold meaning." At his frown, she said, " 'Don't go, you know you'll break my heart', which is what would happen if we broke up. Never do that by the way. 'She won't love you like I will; I'm the one who'll stay when she walks away and you know I'll be standing here still'." Remember Jenna? Even though you tried to have a relationship with her, I still stuck around and you have to admit a relationship with me is different that your one with her. 'I'll be waiting for you here inside my heart, I'm the one who wants to love you more; you can see I can give you everything you need, let me be the one to love you more'. I waited, what, seven years before we finally got together?"

As was always the case with her, she had a point.

_End chapter two._


	4. Epilogue

**Trivia and In-Jokes: Luke is Luke Skywalker, whom AL was involved with before coming to the 23rd century. Their Song is Celine Dion's "I Love You".**

_Epilogue_

"And that's how it happened," concluded Lisa and those who had gathered around to listen to the story laughed.

"That's the best story I've heard in a while," said Geordi.

"And it's all true."

"That is correct," said Data.

"And it's better to have a four hundred-year-old Song than to have one that hasn't been invented yet." The spectators gave her a quizzical look. "Well, before I met Data I was in a far-off galaxy a very long time ago and the Song I chose for my boyfriend then wouldn't be written for a very, very long time. In fact, they didn't even have the technology to play it, so it was kind of hard to get Luke to hear it. I had to bring the technology from Alnilam to there."

There were a few indistinct comments, then the crowd dispersed leaving Lisa and Data alone. She sighed and leaned back in her seat, stretching her wings out beside her.

"Thanks for making me go up there, Data. I didn't realize the thrill of performing for people."

He smiled at her. "You are welcome."

"Though what put the idea in the others' heads to make me do it?"

"I have repeatedly spoken about our duets and they asked to hear you play. I played for them the first recording you created before you asked me to play with you." He paused and canted his head. "I realize I should have asked your permission before doing so. I apologize."

Lisa pursed her lips; normally she'd be annoyed that he'd gone into her personal files without asking, but the way he told her so innocently made her let it go.

"Well…" she said, feigning irritation, then she smiled and took his hand. "Okay, I forgive you."

She moved to kiss him and he reciprocated, mostly because he knew that was what she liked.

The _Enterprise_ warped off to its next destination.

_The End_


End file.
